


Morning Light

by jungle_ride



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 07:10:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14183634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jungle_ride/pseuds/jungle_ride
Summary: As the sun rises in Stroybrooke and another day begins, the morning rays of light come streaming in through the large crack in the curtains of the bedroom window in the top suite at Granny’s bed and breakfast. Emma, who was curled up peacefully under the covers regrets that she didn’t pay more vigilance to the floral material hanging above the window. Although in her defence, the night before she had been preoccupied with far more important things at the time, but as a large golden beam of light softly caresses her face, lighting up the world beyond her closed eyelids, she can’t help but feel a little remorse that she hadn’t closed them properly.





	Morning Light

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Ultra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultra/gifts).



As the sun rises in Stroybrooke and another day begins, the morning rays of light come streaming in through the large crack in the curtains of the bedroom window in the top suite at Granny’s bed and breakfast. Emma, who was curled up peacefully under the covers regrets that she didn’t pay more vigilance to the floral material hanging above the window. Although in her defence, the night before she had been preoccupied with far more important things at the time, but as a large golden beam of light softly caresses her face, lighting up the world beyond her closed eyelids, she can’t help but feel a little remorse that she hadn’t closed them properly.

After all she was having the most peaceful of sleeps, the kind she hadn’t had since she’d been sleeping in the back of the yellow bug, young and reckless and full of a hope that had escaped her for years after. Her dreams, still lingering in her half-awake haze, had been a setting of perfection, full of smiles, laughter and love in its many forms warming her from the inside out. In her dreams Emma’s hand had been held by another, by Neal, their fingers interlacing as they journeyed through life. Emma chest swells as the memory of her dream plays out, lucid, vivid and in technicolour. Her lips curl upwards softly in a sleepy smile as she begins to realise just how real those dreams could become now. The last few months and its events had cemented the foundation but last night and the confessions made had been the start of something. Of new beginnings. It was too good to be true. The phrase flashes in her mind’s eye in bold black letters. _Too good to be true._

Emma, who’s spent a lifetime having the rug pulled out from under her, is suddenly struck with a sickening sensation of doubt. What if what Emma believed to have happened last night was just part of her dream? The thought causes her stomach to drop, but now that it’s there Emma can’t shake the feeling. She has to know the truth. Squeezing her already close eyes harder Emma slowly reaches out her hand under the covers, her fingers searching for the warmth of another as she silently performs a mantra of ‘please don’t have been a dream’. To find out that it had been only a dream would be too cruel of a blow for Emma to take.

Although her fingers only travel a few inches, it feels like an eternity to her quickening heartbeat. Emma holds her breathe the entire time, the knot in her stomach tightening with each drawn out second. After what seems like a lifetime Emma finally comes into contact with the bare chest of Neal, the muscles of his chest flex at the contact of her fingertips to his skin. Like having a glass of cold water in the desert, relief floods through her veins and Emma lets out the breath she’d been holding. Still, being her, Emma can’t help but allow another thought of doubt to prickle at the edges of her mind. What he if thought last night was a mistake? What if he doesn’t want, what she so desperately does? Blinking her eyes into morning, Emma squints through the light and waits for her focus to return. When it finally does, one look at the face next to her puts all those dark night time doubts to rest.

Neal is still asleep, his face a picture of pure relaxation. His dark hair is ruffled and dishevelled and Emma smiles brightly to herself as she remembers the part she played in making it that way. The deep lines that Emma had often seen appearing on his forehead, usually caused by her, when he was concerned, worried or pained with emotion are all smoothed out now. He looks younger now somehow, caught somewhere between the youth of their reckless years and the growth of their recent times spent reconnecting and rebuilding. There’s a sense of pride in that for Emma mixed with a little sadness too, for she’d played a part in both versions. It seemed that a lot of the scars they shared where destined to be made and fixed by the other. Balance. Emma had never had much of that in her life, but she’s more than willing to live and learn it, if it means she gets this every morning. Emma wonders for a moment if that is how he also feels, before remembering the words he whispered in her ear in the moonlight and knows it to be true.

As if hearing her thoughts a ghost of a smile begins to play at his edges of Neal’s lips as he lets out a deep contented sigh. Emma, wanting to be closer to him, moves into the warmth of his body. Sensing her movements Neal automatically wraps an arm over her waist, pulling her even closer into him, so her chest is pressed against his. Unable to contain herself Emma reaches her hand out from under the covers, to lightly trace the curves and edges of his face, her fingertips barely touching his skin. Neal’s eyelashes flutter but he doesn’t yet wake, just leans a little into her touch. Emma’s whose face is now only inches away from his, muffles her giggle by biting her bottom lip as she watches a thousand expressions drift over his face. Neal lets out a hum of contentment as Emma’s fingertips gently run over his lips. He’s beginning to stir now and Emma knows it won’t be long till he is fully awake. There’s impatience to her now, a need for him to be awake. To look into his eyes and just breathe together. Leaning in closer Emma presses several chaste kisses to his lips, each one growing in contact and length as she attempts to pull Neal from his dreams and back into reality with her.

Neal’s arm tightens on her waist squeezing her tightly once before his hand runs up her the curve of her body and cups her face as he presses his lips back into hers. Emma smiles into the kiss knowing he is finally awake. Pulling back when the need for fresh air occurs, Emma rests her forehead against his and sighs.

“I have a deal for you Miss Swann.” Neal mumbles his voice rough from sleep as his eyes flutter open.

“What’s that?” Emma queries, humming in satisfaction as Neal rubs their noses together.

“From now on, whoever wakes up first has to promise to always wake the other up just like that.” Neal says giving her a trademark wink that has her heart skipping a beat. Emma laughs, light and breezy.

“Deal.”

 


End file.
